This invention relates to apparatus for adjusting the size of the load space in a cargo vehicle having a generally rectangular load space defined by side walls and a generally flat bed.
Many businesses use pickup trucks and vans in their business for transporting and delivering items that are used in the provision of services, such as painting contractors, carpenters, plumbers, and others, and those who are delivering small quantities of goods to a customer. However, quite often the loads or cargo items are only few in number, fragile or odd-sized such that they utilize only a small portion of the available load space and consequently roll and slide around within the cargo space as the vehicle is moving. Without some means to secure such small loads, the cargo items may be damaged in transit, causing a loss to the company or the carrier, and delaying delivery of the items to the customer. Particularly troublesome are large heavy items such as barrels or cans of paint, chemicals, cleaning solvents and the like which may burst open and spill their contents if the cargo vehicle strikes an obstruction, is involved in a minor accident, or must suddenly stop because of traffic conditions. In addition, extremely large and heavy items such as various compressed gas tanks and other odd shaped cargo items are difficult to secure in such an open cargo space.
The prior art has supplied various means of attempting to solve this problem like tie-downs, racks and bins for holding the cargo items. However, these solutions do not generally provide a readily adjustable apparatus for varying the cargo vehicle load space and providing a load restraining means to keep the cargo items from moving within the cargo space while the vehicle is in motion. Some attempts have been made to solve this problem, notably the various load restraining apparatus and compartment doors as disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,049,311 (Dietrich et al), Re. 28,788 (Williamson) and 2,388,304 (Ackerman et al). In addition, two U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,428,330 and 3,229,994 (Klein) disclose an adjustable load retaining rack for an open bodied truck that makes use of a pair of spaced parallel rails mounted on the top of the opposite sides of the truck body, which rails can be fitted with a shoe sliding over each rail for supporting vertical posts above each rail with an attached cross bar. However, the load restraining rack disclosed in the above patents extends in the air above the vehicle causing vehicle clearance problems, and is not suitable for use in a enclosed cargo vehicle such as a delivery van, since there are no sides of a truck body upon which to mount the load retaining rack apparatus.
Accordingly, one primary feature of the present invention is to provide an adjustable load restraining apparatus for cargo vehicles having a generally rectangular load space defined by side walls and a flat bed that is utilizable both in an open cargo vehicle such as a pickup truck and enclosed delivery vans or pickup trucks with camper enclosures over the load space.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide an adjustable load restraining apparatus that may be quickly and easily adjusted from a large load space area to a small load space area by the vehicle operator.
Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a load restraining apparatus for cargo vehicles that may be quickly and easily installed in all types of cargo vehicles such as pickup trucks and vans.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide an adjustable load restraining apparatus for cargo vehicles that includes means for increasing the surface area of a load contacting and restraining member when necessary.